Punch sheet record



De. 7, 1948. w. e. READ PUNCH SHEET RECORD Filed Aug. 9, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [nvemiar ianzeg Patented Dec. 7, 1948 STTES ENT OFFICE PUNCH SHEET RECORD Worth G. Read, St. Paul, Minn.

Application August 9, 1946, Serial No. 689,492

11 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for making original punch sheet or card records including identifying numerals and other data pertaining to separate units such as railway cars, trucks, busses, airplanes and other machines and equipment with a view to producing accurate original records which may be sorted by automatic machines or used to actuate or control mechanism for reproducing the records mechanically or to activate computing machines.

It is an object of my invention to provide simple, durable and reliable apparatus of this kind which includes a multiplicity of inexpensive punch or cutter plates severally carried by the vehicles or other units to be identified and each having sheet cutting members differing in their relative positions on the plate from those on the other plates and adapted to coact with a manually operable sheet holder or platen to cut groups of identifying apertures in sheets carried by the holder.

Another object is to provide apparatus of the class described adapted to produce record sheets or cards having marginal groups of perforations or slots of such character and so arranged that the accuracy of the record is substantially unaffected by adverse weather conditions or the rough handling to which the sheets or cards are subjected in out-of-door use, as in the recording of data pertaining to individual railway cars.

A particular object is to provide a simplified record sheet holder comprising a platen having a hinge connection with a housing containing a cutter plate mounted on the car or other unit to be identified whereby the record sheet may be cut by manual movement of the platen carrying the blank sheet in an arc relative to the cutter plate.

A further object is to provide an improved arrangement of cutter plates and housings therefor to be mounted on the cars or units whereby the punched or out out particles of record sheets as well as all deposits of grit, dirt or other foreign matter which might otherwise interfere with the continued normal operation and accuracy of the record are discharged from the housing by gravity and the vibration incident to the use of the apparatus on mobile equipment.

The invention also includes certain other novel features of construction which will be more fully pointed out in the following specification and claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example and not for the pur- 2 pose of limitation, a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure l is a front elevational view showing the cutter plate housing and sheet holder in operative relation to a cutter plate in the housing;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the cutter plate blanks which may be readily altered to adapt it to record the required data;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the sheet holder and die members carried thereby with the handle broken away;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the finished cutter plates;

Fig. '7 is a. plan View of a suitable record sheet pertaining to railway freight cars, and

Fig. 8 is an upper edge view of one of the cutter plates and adjacent portion of the housing, showing suitable means for fastening the plate to the housing.

.In the drawings the numeral 9 indicates the wall of a railway car or other unit of equipment with which my invention is used and I0 indicates one of the cutter plates which is contained in a housing indicated generally by the numeral ll, mounted on the wall 9. This housing has a back wall l2 which is secured by bolts I3 to the wall 9, the bolts passing through holes I4 in the Wall [2. Parallel end walls l5 are formed integral with the wall l2 and project at right angles thereto to support a front wall 18 which is inclined so that it diverges forwardly and upwardly from the back Wall 12. The entire bottom of the housing is open as indicated at 1'1. Suitable bolts l8 are provided to removably fasten the cutter plate It to the front wall l5 and the latter is formed with ribs 5a which space the plate Ill from the inner surface of the wall i6, as best shown in Fig. 8. Extending along the normally upper edge of the plate Ill is a series of cutter members I9 and l9a, the number, relative positions and length of which designate the individual car numbers as well as other data pertaining to the several cars. Such other data may comprise the tare weight of the car and/or a code number identifying the owner of the car or any other data that may be required. The cutter members I9 and l9a are preferably arranged to project slightly above the elevation of the upper edge of the wall It and to coact with die members 20 formed integral with a platen member '2I in cutting groups of marginal slots in the record sheets or cards. Platen member 2| is preferably countersunk in one face of a sheet holder indicated generally by the numeral 22, countersunk screws 23 being used to fasten the member 2| in place.

Projecting from the front face of the platen member 2| is a guide blade 24 adapted to fit in and pass through a slot 25 (Figs. 1 and 6) extending in from the normally upper edge of the cutter plate |0. Studs 26 project from opposite ends of the holder 22 in axial alignment, one with the other, to fit in pivot bearings 21 formed in the respective end walls l5. The bearings 21 are severally located at the inner and lower extremities of guide slots 28 which are open at the front edge of the respective walls l to allow the studs 26 to be moved to and from operative position in the bearings.

Integral with the holder 22 is a handle 29 which preferably extends at an obtuse angle to the platen member 2|, as best shown in Fig. 2. Record sheets or cards of which the sheet 30 shown in Figs. 3 and 7 is an example, may be placed on the front face of the platen member 2| and holder 22 with a margin of the sheet in approximate registry with the normally lower edge of the member 2|. A multiplicity of perforations 3| are formed in the margin of the sheet 30 and arranged in one or more rows extending parallel and closely adjacent to the edge of the sheet 30. To hold the sheet in place, a leaf spring 32 is fastened to the holder 22 by a screw 33 located near one end of the spring and leaving the other end portion free to press the sheet 30 against the face of the platen. Small locater pins 34 project from the face of the platen member 2| to fit in perforations 35 formed in the sheet 30 at suitably spaced points. in Fig. 7, the perforation 35 near the left end of the sheet 30 is located in a subdivision of the margin which is adapted to be slotted by other mechanism subsequently to the operation of the present apparatus.

As further shown in Fig. 7, the perforated margin of the sheet 30 is divided by printed lines into a series of equal areas and each of these areas has four of the perforations 3| which are designated by the numerals I, 2, 4 and 1 respectively. Such perforations are placed in all of the record sheets or cards with the several corresponding perforations so placed as to coincide with one another when the cards or sheets are stacked together. By opening out selected perforations to the edge of the sheet or card any combination of numerals or other symbols may be disignated thereon. Thereafter, by stacking the slotted sheets and then thrusting a rod, wire or any other separating instrument through any coinciding set of perforations, the sheets in which these perforations have been opened out may be separated from the remainder of the sheets, the perforations of which have not been so opened out. Record sheets or cards of this general character are described in U. S. Patent No. 1,739,087, granted December 10, 1929, to Alfred Perkins.

According to the present invention the slotting of the sheets to open out selected perforations 3| to the edge is performed quickly and easily by attaching the sheet or a plurality of superimposed sheets to the platen 2| and operating the latter in coaction with the die members Hi and |9a of any of the cutter plates I0. In the specific arrangement shown in Fig. 7, selected perforations 3| of the printed marginal areas indicated by the numeral 36 may be slotted out to the sheet edge to designate any car number and the. tare weight As shown I of the car may be simultaneously designated in a similar manner in the areas 37. As further indicated, additional marginal areas may be slotted by other mechanism to designate the day on which the record is made. For the purpose of illustration, the cutter plate l0 shown in Fig. 6 is arranged with its members l9 and |9a in vertical alignment with the respective slots indicated by broken lines in Fig.7 to be formed in the sheet 30 where the car number is 59624 and the tare weight of the same car is 400 hundred weight, i. e,, 40,000 lbs. Other or additional data may be recorded by suitable slotting of any available marginal area of the sheet 30.

Fig. 4 shows one of the blank cutter plates l0 having a multiplicity of elongated, rectangular cutter members l9 and |9a projecting in groups of three from one edge of the plate. By the simple operation of cutting off selected members l9 and l9a, such plates are altered to adapt them to out different series of marginal slots representing any combination of numerals or other data which is to be associated with individual units. For example, by cutting off selected members 0 and |9a along the lines |9b the remaining cutter members will appear as shown in Fig. 6.

A spring finger 38 is mounted on the normally back face of the holder 22 to project slightly beyond the normally lower edge of the platen member 2| and to engage the normally upper edge of the cutter plate H! as the platen is oscillated from rear to front with respect to the cutter plate l0. Thus the finger 38 strikes the plate l0 and then bends backward to pass the plate when actuated clockwise as seen in Fig. 3. Reverse movement is prevented by engagement of the finger 38 with the plate l0 and lower edge of the platen member 2| should it be attempted to move the platen carrying a slotted sheet from front to rear past the die plate ID.

A closure is provided for the top of the housing comprising a cover 39 having small bolts 40 hingedly connecting it to the upper extremities of the end walls l5. This cover is adapted to be swung upward, as indicated in full lines in the drawings, to open the housing and permit the operation of the holder 22 in making punch sheet or card records in coaction with the cutter plate l0 contained in the housing. The cover is normally held in the closed, broken line position indicated in Fig. 2 by gravity.

In the use of my invention, the several cars or other mobile units are provided with cutter plates l0 and housings II and the several plates are provided with cutter members I9 and |9a in the various arrangements necessary to designate the several different car numbers, tare weights and/or other data pertaining to the individual units. Each of the operators of my apparatus at the various yards or stations where records are to be made is provided with one of the sheet holders 22 and a supply of suitable blank record sheets. When a record is to be made, an operator merely inserts a suitable sheet, e. g., the sheet 30 between the spring 32 and platen member 2| and accurately positions the sheet by inserting the locater pins 34 in the sheet apertures 35. Now by grasping the handle 29, opening the cover 39, passing the lower edge of the platen member 2| between the plate l0 and back wall l2 and seating the studs 26 in the bearings 27, the hinge connection between the sheet holder and any selected housing is made and the handle 29 is merely swung upward and toward the car wall 9 to bring the die members 28 of the platen member 2! into operative relation to the cutter members l9 and 19a of the plate ID. This slots the margin of the sheet between the cutter members l9 and Mia and die members 20 to open out selected perforations 3] to the lower edge of the sheet. During this operation the cutter members are accurately aligned with the spaces between die members 28 by the guide blade 24 which engages the slot 25 in plate if] in advance of the cutting operation. A beveled leading edge portion 24a of the blade it passes readily into the slot 25 to center the sheet holder in the housing. Upon completion of the slotting operation and when the spring finger 38 has passed through a short arc to the front of the housing the sheet holder is merely Withdrawn from the housing by withdrawing the studs 26 through the open slots 28. Finally the sheet 30 bearing the punch record is disengaged from the pins 34 and spring 32 and the sheet is removed.

The foregoing operation may be performed quickly and easily to make accurate records of data pertaining to the several units and the sheets,

when completed, are collected for use by the auditing department of the organization in making records and computations with the assurance that there are no divergencies in the slotted card from the code of the cutting plate. The sheets may be sorted and classified accurately and rapidly by the use of suitable punch card sorting mechanism or they may be used to actuate or control mechanism for reproducing the records mechanically or to activate computing machines.

The accuracy of the slotting operation is not affected by the thickness, size, flexibility or composition of the record sheets or cards and a number of superimposed sheets may be bound together and placed as a unit on the holder 2| for making multiple copies of the record simultaneously. Moreover, folding, bending and moderate exposure of the record sheets to wetting by rain or soiling has no detrimental effect on the accuracy of the punched or slotted rec-0rd. Consequently my apparatus is peculiarly adapted for use where the record sheets are subject to rough handling and exposure to out-of-door weather conditions.

As the cut-out particles of the record sheets are freed, they fall at the back or front faces of the steeply inclined cutter plate ill and are discharged through the open bottom I l of the housing. This housing is devoid of surfaces where ice or snow or grit, dirt or other particles of foreign matter can accumulate and be confined in sufficient quantity to interfere with the efiicient operation of the apparatus. All such particles readily pass out through the bottom of the housing. There are no parts of either the sheet holder or housing to get out of order and the entire apparatus is simple and durable.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

i. In apparatus for making punch sheet records identifying separate units, plates adapted to be fastened to the respective units, each plate carrying a group of sheet cutting members differing in their relative positions on the plate from those of the other plates; housings for the several plates carried by the separate units; a sheet holder adapted to be applied to the several plates and having complementary die members adapted to coact with the cutting members of either of said plates to cut groups of apertures in sheets corresponding in size, shape and relative positions to the groups of cutting members on the plates respectively; means for hingedly connecting the sheet holder to the several housings to permit cutting of sheets by arcuate movement of the holder relative to the cutting members of the several plates, and means for fastening sheets in predetermined fixed cutting position on the holder.

2. In apparatus for making punch sheet records identifying separate units, plates adapted to be fastened to the respective units, each plate being formed with a row of sheet cutting fingers proj ecting from an edge thereof and differing in their relative positions on the plate from those of the other plates; a sheet holder adapted to be applied to the several plates and having complementary die members adapted to coact with the fingers of either of said plates to cut groups of apertures in the margins of sheets and means for fastening sheets in predetermined fixed cutting position on said holder.

3. In apparatus for making punch sheet records identifying separate units, plates adapted to be fastened to the respective units, each plate formed with a group of sheet cutting fingers projecting from an edge thereof and difiering in their relative positions on the plate from those of the other plates; housings for the several plates carried by the separate units; a sheet holder adapted to be applied to the several plates and having complementary die members adapted to coact with the cutting members of any of said plates to cut groups of apertures in sheets; means for hingedly connecting the sheet holder to the several housings to permit the cutting of sheets by arcuate movement of the holder relative to the cutting members of the several plates and means for fastening sheets in predetermined fixed cutting position on the holder.

4. In apparatus for making punch sheet records identifying separate units, plates adapted to be fastened to the respective units, each plate carrying a group of sheet cutting members differing in their relative positions on the plate from those of the other plates; housings for the several plates carried by the separate units; a platen adapted to be applied to the several plates; a rigid handle integral with said platen; complementary die members carried by said platen to coact with the cutting members of any of said plates to cut groups of apertures in sheets; means for hingedly connecting the platen to the several housings to permit the cutting of sheets by arcuate movement of the platen relative to the cutting members of the several plates, and means for fastening sheets in predetermined fixed cutting position on the platen.

5. In apparatus for making punch sheet records identifying separate vehicles, punch plate housings mounted on the several vehicles and each having a back wall secured to the vehicle and a front wall spaced from the back wall, a cutter plate mounted on the inner surface of the front wall of each housing, each plate having a group of sheet cutting members differing in their relative positions on the plate from those of the other plates; a sheet holder operable in the space between the housing back wall and plate on the front wall and having complementary die members adapted to coact with the cutting members of the plate to cut a group of apertures in sheets carried by the holder, and means for holding sheets in predetermined cutting position on the holder.

6. In apparatus for making punch sheet records identifying separate vehicles, punch plate hous- Maul.

ings mounted on the several vehicles and each. having a back wall secured to the vehicle, spaced parallel end walls and a front wall spaced from the back wall, a cutter plate mounted on the inner surface of the front wall of each housing, each plate having a group of sheet cutting members differing in their relative positions on the plate from those of the other plates; a sheet holder adapted to be inserted in the spaces between the housing back walls and the several plates and having complementary die members adapted to coact with the cutting members of either of said plates to cut groups of apertures in sheets, means for hingedly connecting the sheet holder to the end walls of the several housings to permit the cutting of sheets on the holder by arcuate movement of the holder relative to the cutting members of the several plates, and means for holding sheets in predetermined cutting position on the holder.

7. In apparatus for making punch sheet records identifying separate vehicles, punch plate housings mounted on the several vehicles and each having a back wall secured to the vehicle and a front wall spaced from the back wall, a cutter plate mounted on the inner curface of the front wall of each housing, each plate having a group of sheet cutting members projecting from the upper edge thereof and differing in their relative positions on the plate from those of the-other plates; a sheet holder movable in the space between the housing back wall and the Plate on the front housing wall and having complementary die members projecting from the normally lower edge thereof to coact with the cutting members of the plate to cut groups of apertures in sheets, and means for holding sheets in predetermined cutting position on the-holder.

8. In apparatus for making punch sheet records, a housing, a cutter plate mounted in said housing, a platen, means for pivotally connecting said platen to said housing, a multiplicity of cutter members projecting from said plate, said platen being formed with apertures severally in registry with said cutter members of said plate to coact with selected cutter members in perforating record sheets carried by the; platen, means for securing record sheets on said platen in a fixed position relative to said cutter members and the apertures in the platen and means for oscillating the platen relative to the cutter members.

9. In apparatus for making punch sheet records, a housing, a cutter plate mounted in said housing, a platen, a hinge pin connecting said platen tosaid housing, said platen having an edge extending in parellel relation to the axis of said pin, a multiplicity of cutter members spaced along said edge, cutter members projecting from a margin of said plate in parallel relation to the cutter'members of the platen to coact therewith in slotting the margins of record sheets carried by the platen and means for attaching record sheets to said platen with a margin of the several sheets positioned to extend between the cutter members of said plate and platen.

10. In combination with a record sheet having a multiplicity of marginal perforations, a platen having integral die members projecting in a row along an edge thereof, a handle operatively connected to said platen and means for attaching said record sheet to the platen with the perforated margin in overlapping relation to said die membercomprising a plurality of pins projecting from the face of said platen for engagement in selected perforations in said sheet.

11. In apparatus of the class described, a platen having integral die members projecting in a row along an edge thereof, a handle rigidly connected to said platen and means for securing a record sheet with a margin to, be perforated in predetermined overlapping relation to said die members comprising a plurality of pins projecting from the face of said platen for engagement with perfcrmations formed in said sheet and spring means projecting from the platen to resiliently hold the sheet in face to face contact with the platen.

WORTH G. READ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,146,998 Bryce July 20, 1915 1,581,782 Buchter Apr. 20, 1926 1,705,091 Langford Mar. 12, 1929 2,233,662 Buster Mar. 4, 1941 

